What do you keep in your car

[Panicatthegarden]

At the grand old age of 33 I've finally passed my driving test and bought my first car 🥳

What essentials do you keep in yours?

I already have a foil blanket on the list and to get a faraday pouch for the car keys. Please hit me with anything else you think is useful/ good for emergencies/ helps keep the car safe

Thank you!

Currently. 2 dressing gowns. a bath board. 4 ferrules, box of latex gloves. Shopping bags and a spare tyre. Oh and 2 boxes of Capri suns...blackcurrant flavour.

First aid kit, hi vis jacket, warning triangle, jump leads, pump, a rolled up cover for the windscreen when it's frosty. Ice scraper. Tissues. Some disposable cutlery that came in plastic bag. Notepad and pen. Shopping bags. Spare light bulbs. Road atlas. Wildlife guide. Couple of cheap blankets on the back seat.

Currently, it's also got spare screen wash and oil carton. And wellies, because I'm more likely to use them away from home than at home, and they haven't been removed since I last wore them. And a picnic blanket and army poncho/groundsheet.

Deicer, t towel, jug, phone charger, ice scraper, sunglasses, inhaler, vape liquid, car tire pump. And not in the car but on my car keys one of them things that breaks glass and cuts seatbelts

Sunglasses, de-icer, scraper, de mister pad, resident permit for the local tip, umbrella and the first aid kit that came with the car.

I have kids who get travel sick sometimes, I steal sick bags off planes and keep them in the glove compartment.

Phone charger cable
Wipes
Ice scraper
Shopping bags
Plug in electric tyre pump
Tissues

That's it.

Actually fuck all. Charging cable (EV) tonnes of work shit in boot. Umbrella, parking permit, phone charging cable, coffee cup, ice scraper, window sponge, chewing gum.
That's probably it.

I have an emergency kit with things like fluorescent jackets and a warning triangle because legally you have to carry them in France - haven't ever opened it.

Tissues
Hairbrush
Baby wipes
Phone charger
Emergency make-up
Sunglasses
Pen
Mints
Cloth
Umbrella
So many bags for life

Windscreen wiper fluid
The nut things for removing the tyres
THE NUMBER FOR THE BREAKDOWN SERVICE

windscreen wash fluid
scraper
baby wipes
daughter’s extensive sports kit
8 hockey sticks
30 hockey balls
first aid kit
engine oil
shopping bags
2 or 3 pairs of emergency sunglasses
driving glasses
pen
inhaler
charging cable/car play link
a game of dobble
brolly
lightweight rain mac

so a mixture of handy stuff and random shit.

I got a new car 3 months ago and this is all that is in it:
Reusable shopping bags in the icebox in the boot
A charging cable for my phone in the centre console
The spare charging cable for the actual car in the boot
A cute wallet with my registration, insurance and AAA cards in the glove compartment.
One rubber duck (because of the kind of car it is).

I love it! No crap. no stress!

One thing I have now, after an emergency, is an old fashioned road atlas. You can still get them.

A few years ago driving north to South alone, I suffered a two hour delay which meant I got caught by the closure of the A64. The sat nav just wanted to keep taking me back on the A64 or was recommending cross country B roads in the dark and wet. Trying to sort a route on decent roads on the mobile was difficult.

shopping bags, sun shield and umbrella. Thats it really

oh yes, sunglasses and parking permit

I'm in Melbourne
Sunglasses and ordinary - both prescription
Phone charger
First aid kit (with snakebite bandage) I've never used it, nor met anyone who knows anyone who knows anyone who's ever been bitten by a snake
Microfibre towel
Paca mac
Spare dog lead
Poo bags
Dog tether
Collapsible dog water bowl
Bottle of water
Spare wheel, jack, etc.
Novel
Bird Guide to Australia
Post-it notes
Pen/pencil
Umbrellas
Hat - straw in summer, felt in winter
Road atlases
Shopping bags
Nail file
Cutlery pack
Hankies
Wipes
Duct tape
Bin bags
Coins for shopping trolley

Petrol

I have a "boot organiser" which has pouches in it - this stores de ice and kit for snow, medicine kit, emergency wet wipes, re-useable bags. Then I have in the boot it's self a collapsible crate which has a spare pair of (riding) boots, a jumper, shopping bags and some beach stuff for.toddler.

In the back seat I keep emergency oat bars and riding boots. Also baby car seat and a silly beads on wire thing toddler will play with if I'm driving. And an umbrella.

In the glove box are wet wipes, note pad and pen, emergency chocolate for DH, a little pouch with paracetamol, plasters, antihistamines.

It sounds organised but it's always a mess!

I’m my car ‘front’ I have sunnies, readers, barley sugar, change, a £20 in my sun visor, charger cables. Pen and paper. Ice scraper and de-icer.
Make up bag with wipes / anti bac gel/ deodorant/ comb/foundation/ lip balm.
In the boot I have a plastic box with a picnic blanket that zips up small. Socks. Kagoules. Bottled Water. Nut bars. Crisps. Sunblock. Brolly. Fleeces. Spare lead, ball thrower +balls, treats, shit bags, towel.
—i also have 2 nappies as when my house had no bathroom I realised if absolutely desperate you could pee into one and I got caught short on the M6 in a jam once when the kids were little and so did it in one of the kids nappies—

Tissues, trolley token/pound coin, umbrella, comb, maybe a CD, small first aid kit (with some probably out of date paracetomol/ibuprofen in it), pen, crossword book.

In the winter add in some kitchen roll to remove condensation, de-icer and scraper.

I've Greenflag, so if the car breaks down I'd just wait for them to arrive to fix it.

I add in stuff apropriate to the journey/destination, rather than constantly paying for petrol to carry stuff I'm not going to need that day.

Scraper
Charging cable
Seatbelt cutter thing in all four side doors

An emergency £10, if you have children - wellies, spare jacket, a couple of nappies and a packet of wipes.
A £1 for the trolly.
Around 30p in 2's and 1's and 5 pence's for when you go over on petrol (you'll start having a winning streak when your bang on £20 or whatever instead of £20.03')
Sunglasses
Phone charger
edited to add, a pen and small note book should you ever knock into someone's car when parking

Congratulations on passing your driving test OP, I remember that feeling very well! Stay safe 🥳

With the caveat that I rarely use my car out of town..
A travel rug
tissues (permanently runny nose)
phone charger (handy for sat nav as the one in my car is out of date-older car)
dog seat belt, seat cover, poo bags and treats
chewing gum
ice scraper and de-icer spray
umbrella
shopping bags
usually some random crap/small bit of wood and general detritus in the boot from stuff I’ve taken to the tip🤣

oil for the car, water for the car
blanket
towel
ice scraper
shopping bags
shoes

windscreen wash sounds a good idea
i do also have window cleaner

Shopping bags, a brolly, cds. Only use it for supermarket/ gym

An umbrella and an ice scraper

An old council tax bill in the glove box - at our local tip you have to show proof of address and otherwise I’d forget to take something with me